Two fires in two apartment buildings in Essen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia left 31 people injured on Saturday afternoon, including eight children. A 41-year-old Syrian has already been arrested as a suspect. A few minutes later he allegedly entered two stores in a van.
As Essen Mayor Thomas Kufen announced on Sunday, the suspected arson attacks specifically targeted two families.
Children seriously injured
The man is suspected of serious arson and attempted murder and will be brought before the judge on Sunday. His motive is still unclear. Background investigations into the environment of the 41-year-old Syrian and witness interviews are currently underway, the police said on Sunday.
According to the fire brigade, twelve people were injured in the first fire and 19 in the second fire shortly afterwards. Eight children were seriously injured in the first fire, including two small children who suffered life-threatening injuries. According to preliminary information, they are two and four years old, a fire brigade spokesperson said.
Eleven people suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the other fire. All injuries were caused by smoke from the fire. The two small children were taken to special clinics. All the injured have been taken to hospitals for treatment.
The situation was “dramatic”
According to the information, the fires broke out shortly after 5 p.m. in two apartment buildings in the Altenessen and Stoppenberg districts. The fire brigade brought people from the homes to safety, partly with the help of ladders, because the stairwells were no longer passable due to the fire.
Before rescuers arrived, neighbors had already posted construction managers on the wall of one of the houses. But these were too short, according to the fire brigade spokesperson. “But that meant that when we arrived there were already people hanging on the windows, keeping children out.” The firefighters then initially installed a bouncy castle, but this was not used.
At its peak, approximately 160 emergency services were involved. Two major fires that have to be fought in parallel are also a challenge for a large city like Essen. The operation took about an hour and a half.
Storming into stores with vans
The 41-year-old arrested man is also suspected of having rammed a van into two shops in the Katernberg district. According to police, no one was injured.
According to the police spokesperson, it was initially unclear whether the two stores were closed at the time of the crime. The man was arrested near these two stores.
Threaten people with a machete?
The spokesperson did not want to respond to reports that the man had threatened someone with a knife and a machete. In this context, videos from social networks are currently being evaluated. “They are currently being reviewed and checked to see whether they are related to the crime, to what extent this is the suspect and what exactly the background is,” the spokesperson said.
Source: Krone
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